Working with your sibling isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. But that’s exactly what our Devon neighbours and long-standing root veg growers Neil and Gary Farley do every day of the year, and with no small success.
The brothers have been farming organic root veg in Cullompton, north Devon, for over 20 years, and have it down to a fine art.
They’re perhaps best known for their potatoes, and a quest for the perfect crop that culminates at Christmas. "It’s amazing to think that the potatoes we’ve grown are being eaten at that most important meal,” says Gary. "You’d think potatoes are potatoes, but there are actually quite a lot of different characteristics and I do get quite excited about them."
They regularly conduct trials to find the most suitable varieties to grow, looking for reliable croppers with a good disease resistance, and most importantly an abundance of flavour.
After a number of years growing King Edwards, the brothers' trials identified a more favourable variety better suited to growing organically. "We swapped to Sorrento, which looks-wise is almost identical, with the same white-pink flesh, only it grows a little bigger. It can also stick the dry, hot weather, and it’s a really good roaster."
“Planting is one of our favourite parts of the year, there’s always a feeling of hope and optimism about what the next season will bring. After potatoes and carrots, parsnips are next on the agenda, then Jerusalem artichokes, which tend to look after themselves no matter what the conditions.”
Their father still has an active role on the farm, having purchased the farm in 1959. “We sometimes joke that although we run the farm, he hasn’t really given up being in charge. He’s definitely where we got our love of potato growing from. You have to love it to do the job, really,” adds Gary.
The brothers have an endearing habit of finishing off each other’s sentences, and Neil adds that he remembers growing up with potatoes, and helping to harvest them by hand.
Located on sandy land, the Farleys’ farm is perfect for potato growing – it’s their biggest crop at about 70 acres – followed by the root veg, beetroot and the artichokes.
Both brothers agree that one of the best parts of the job is when someone spots their names on the packs of potatoes, or say they’ve enjoyed some Farley-grown carrots. “It feels like farming with a bit of pride and like you’re part of the family,” says Neil.
Going forward, the brothers say their biggest challenge is climate change. "One thing we have noticed is that we’re getting more hot summers and wet autumns, rather than wet winters." They are always looking at new varieties to withstand extremes in the weather. With the dedication to their land, and a passion for the produce, it’s a family farm that is set to thrive for years to come.
